# Why do razor blades wear out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324 "2003-05-01T05:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alex.shultz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@alex.shultz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alex.shultz)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324/1 "2003-05-01T05:25:25Z")
After reading the fantasting answer to the (almost) age-old question of whether two blades are better than one I got to thinking about razor blades and how they have let me down. It seems to me that when my razor blade meets my whiskers I should be able to make money betting on the razor blade winning every time. However, after I have used my triple-blade razor for several shaves, I find that in order to get the same close shave I need to either shave “harder”, take multiple passes, or switch to a new blade. I think that these razor sharp blades be able to whack off my whiskers forever without wearing out. It’s not like I’m trying to cut through tin cans before slicing a tomato! Can’t they make the razor blades with the same “never needs sharpening” edge that those Ginsu knives are supposed to have? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324/2 "2003-05-01T05:30:49Z")
They don’t get really dull, you can still cut yourself real good with them. They just get too worn out to reliably get those tiny hairs, I think. They probably COULD make razors that last longer, but then you wouldn’t buy them as much, so I guess they feel nothing is in it for them. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324/3 "2003-05-01T05:59:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alex.shultz \* > \*\*Can’t they make the razor blades with the same “never needs sharpening” edge that those Ginsu knives are supposed to have? \*\* Maybe not “never needs sharpening”, but there are things a lot harder than steel. [Ceramic advanced wet shave razor](http://www.designinsite.dk/htmsider/k0042.htm). > [@](#): > > The sharp blade is made of yttria stabilised zirconia ceramic. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324/4 "2003-05-01T06:10:50Z")
Might not be all that comfortable to use, though. [Kyocera Ceramic Knife F.A.Q.s](http://www.mingspantry.com/kyoccerkniff.html#q21) > [@](#): > > **The peeler is great! How come you don’t make a shaver?** > Too dangerous! A metal razor blade has a relatively “rounded” edge (under the microscope) which prevents the blade from cutting into the skin. A ceramic razor blade, however, does not have a rounded edge and slices into the skin. Thus, a ceramic shaver would be too dangerous to use. Several engineers in Sendai who tested prototypes can confirm this painful fact! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324/5 "2003-05-01T06:14:13Z")
I guess being a cut above the rest is not a good thing here. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324/6 "2003-05-01T06:14:56Z")
'Cos you haven’t put them in a pyramid? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324/7 "2003-05-01T10:27:35Z")
you know, they sell cryogenically treated mach3 blades. They’re supposed to last 3x longer. I’ve heard good things about them. But i’ve never tried em. I only need to shave once a week. Yay for being Asian. [Link](http://greatrazors.zoovy.com/product/TM38) ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-razor-blades-wear-out/172324/8 "2003-05-01T12:54:13Z")
Hair is a lot tougher than you think it is-- and the thin edge of your razor blade ends up being pushed out of the way and misaligned. But it doesn’t move in a uniform fashion. It gets all folded over itself, on both sides. With a knife or a straight razor, you can unfold this edge (with the proper use of a steel or a strop). With a double or triple blade razor, you can’t do very much. (Well, you can take your thumb and go through a stropping action, but you can only reach one side of the blade.) I’ve looked at microscopic shots of razor edges. They are not rounded-- and they do not have microscopic saw-like teeth. The sharper the edge, the closer it gets to a straight line. Many people disagree with this POV, because there is a historical meme among barbers and chefs that knives actually have microscopic serrations, but they haven’t been able to produce evidence to back themselves up.